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The Twins
The Twins are a pair of weapons originally built by Zulera Tallarico that are popularly considered a marvel of Mencuan craftsmanship. They are notorious for being the only weapons of their kind, and Zulera intends to keep it that with without any intention of building more of them. It has been reported that they are designed to shatter if they are taken apart to be analyzed, and since none of the owners have been willing to test Zulera's words on the subject, these weapons have not been re-created and have not been able to be mass-produced. Naming Convention Zulera has affectionately named the first of these weapons Kuzora, and its twin made immediately afterwards, Kazera. The two items are completely identical except the minuscule engraving on one side that bears each weapon's name. It is unclear where she got the inspiration for these names, as they are rather rare names among the Madizi, and even rarer elsewhere. One of the more popular theories about these names is that their uniqueness was supposed to reflect the uniqueness of these weapons. However, these names began surfacing more frequently after the fact, with many young women that sported either of the two names, particularly in Zulera's home country of Matsakan. History & Purpose Zulera's reasoning for creating these two wondrous artifacts remains unclear, and any and all attempts to get an explanation from her resulted in Zulera simply smirking and walking away. Whatever the case, the weapons have proved to be very durable and versatile, as further testament to Zulera's craftsmanship. The way each part functions without flaw is also seen as a testament that these weapons were made with love, with Zulera's mechanical arm being the only other object whose craftsmanship could be comparable. After extensive testing to ensure that they both functioned properly and identically, they were mostly left in one of the many rooms and halls of her workshop where they essentially collected dust until the arrival of the Zelgiaz and her daughter. While no one (including Zelgiaz herself) knows what inspired Zulera to give them away, The Twins soon wound up in Zelgiaz's possession, and later were handed down to her daughter. While it was unclear what Katara Zelgiaz Montoya 2 ended up doing with these weapons later down the line, after a few decades, they found their way into the hands of the Kadasi Circle. It is unclear what happened to them from there. Appearance & Function The Twins are considered marvel of Madizi craftsmanship, although people who have never seen them in action are ofteen swift (and reasonable) to ask why. In terms of appearance, they are two identical barrel-like devices about 28 inches in circumference and 9 inches from end to end in length (barring the hook and handle). The body of each one is cylindrical, with a specially designed U-shaped handle attached to one end for easy gripping. Located on this handle are a series of switches that can be gripped to trigger different mechanisms. On the opposite end are triangular hooks that look like narrowed square pyramids, attached at the base to a chain that is housed inside the barrel. When a switch is depressed, the hook launches out via a spring, and flies straight out at whatever is in front of it, following normal physical trajectories for its weight. The metal used in constructing these devices seems specially treated to prevent rust and decay, and the body of both twins are painted blue. The handles are black, although the triggers are a similar shade of red to the eyes of a Zaderei. This is believed to be intentional. However, there are other switches that change the hooks. Instead of one big spearlike arrow, it is actually composed of four smaller claws that come together to form that spearlike point. One of the switches shifts these four claws so they are facing outward, enabling it to claw and grab at objects or enemies. Another switch inverts these claws similar to a grappling hook thrown over walls of cities and such. Of course, releasing the switch that launches the chain will cause it to reel back in. If the user is holding onto the weapon and the claws/hooks are latched firmly enough onto something, it can pull the user towards that object, which can be nifty for getting around places sometimes. The final feature of these weapons is that right above the hole where the chain comes out is a much smaller hole. The last trigger on the weapons will cause a thin metal bolt to unleash itself from the weapon and fire like a crossbow. These are situated in a ring around the coiled chain, and can be reloaded once the supply of roughly 44 bolts is exhausted. Obviously these weapons take a considerable amount of proficiency to wield properly, which is why Zulera has not mass-produced them. Like everything she makes, she has labelled these weapons with her trademark "ZJT-301". While the letters ZJT are Zulera's initials and 301 is Zulera's Reference Number, the latter is not mentioned at all in the story, and thus most people assume it has something to do with the date or place of their construction. Role in the Series Like many of Zulera's famous inventions, The Twins appear in and out of the story at irregular intervals, based on the creation and who currently possesses it. The Crown of Zivia The Twins do not appear in The Crown of Zivia, and thus it is popularly believed that they were in her workshop collecting dust at this time. The Crusade of Zulera The Twins take a more formidable role in The Crusade of Zulera where they are handed down to Katara Zelgiaz Montoya 1 under the condition that she not disclose where she obtained them from. they aided her significantly in her combat prowess, and thus were a boon to her and the Red Shadows. See Also * Zulera Joanna Tallarico * Zulera's Mechanical Arm * "The Pit" * Zulera City Category:Artifacts